Well Wasted Time
by xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx
Summary: After collecting Snape' memories, the trio are transported back in time, with no paradoxes possible.  While trying to defeat Voldemort, before the first war, will they have time for love?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not, and will not, own Harry Potter... Although there _are_ some fuzzy pink handcuffs in my room ;)**

**Note: All three of the golden trio are animagus. They were studying while on the run and Hermione had the idea in case they were ever captured... :)**

**And this starts just after the trio have left the Shrieking Shack.**

The three teenagers ran across the quiet grounds towards the entrance of the castle, not noticing the stillness or the suddenly-resurrected buildings. Assuming that everyone would be congregating in the Great Hall, the trio hurried onwards up the (rebuilt) stairs. Only one of the three looked confused at her surroundings; surely _that_ wall over there fell and collapsed _this_ staircase?

The three, used to the shortcuts of the huge castle, weaved through the stairs, aiming for the gargoyle that was the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Wait, not Dumbledore's, it was Snape's office now. Well, technically it was just a room now, as the three had only recently witnessed Snape's death.

As they rounded a corner three tall figures stepped out, blocking the pathway.

"Move, or I won't hesitate to hex your sorry a-" Harry started, angry that someone was between him and the answers he'd been waiting for.

"Harry!" Hermione reprimanded.

"Really, Hermione? Now?" Harry shot back, his brows furrowing over his emerald green eyes.

The three figures standing in front of the trio looked at each other, before slowly moving to the edge of the corridor. Hermione, Harry and Ron immediately ran forward towards the gargoyle which, if Hermione remembered correctly, someone had blasted off while the battle had just started.

She stopped, pulling on the boys' arms, "Something's wrong."

Both looked at her in confusion, before noticing the drastic changes around them. For instance, this side of the castle was almost completely destroyed. The trio glanced at each other, before rounding on the three figures that were, incidentally, watching the trio with interest.

The one on the left, the shortest of the three (but still taller that Hermione), was wearing tattered old robes and looked hunched compared to the other two. His eyes continually darted towards the window, where clouds forced the moonlight away from the castle. With a jolt, Hermione recognised Remus Lupin. That meant that the two standing (quite proudly) beside him could only be Sirius Black and... a small dark-haired five year old boy?

Hermione looked at her two peers, amused at the expressions on their faces. Harry seemed to have forgotten that his mouth could close, as it seemed to hang about three inches off the floor. Ron, on the other hand, couldn't stop grinning. It was disconcerting to see him smiling so wildly at someone, he'd never been that happy to see her before. Figures.

"And what do we have here?" A voice drawled from behind the trio.

Hermione whipped around, her hair slapping both Harry and Ron on their cheeks, waking them from their stupor. Another tall figure (why did she feel so short all of a sudden?) stood in the space where the gargoyle should have been. Snape.

Grabbing the vial of tears that Harry had yet to look at, Hermione sprinted forward, pushing past Snape, and up the stairs as if her life depended on it. Fortunately, the gargoyle closed behind her, sealing her into the small space. Claustrophobia was quite scary, Hermione decided, as the walls slowly closed in on her. Hurrying up the last couple of steps, Hermione stood in front of a door, unsure how to go from here and address her dilemma.

Gathering all her courage, she threw open the door, shocked to find the room empty for once. Quickly, she ran to the cupboard that housed the pensieve and poured the tears in. Hermione's finger, taking the initiative, lightly touched the surface, gasping as it pulled her under.

**Thank you for reading. As you can probably tell, I need a beta... Someone to make sure that I do the submit my stories on time and don't stray from the plot... Talking about plots, I'm not exactly sure who to pair up Hermione with. So leave a review if you want to make that decision...**

**Or leave a review if you want to tell me how awesome *coughcrapcough* this story is... Flames welcome... ;)**

**xxLeprechaunxx**

**PS. By the way, I have the next chapter written.. ;D**

**PPS. AND everything, if not most, will be explained next chapter... Including the child with Remus and Sirius... Though it should be pretty obvious who it is.**

**xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Harry Potter... And this goes for the rest of the story which, incidentally, I'd expect to be about 10 chapters :) I think. **

**Noted: If you want the full story of what happened in the pensieve, please consult your Deathly Hallows book and read 'The Prince's Tale'. Just imagine that it was Hermione, not Harry.**

Images swirled and danced in front of Hermione's eyes, making her dizzy, as she pulled her finger out of the basin. _No way! So Snape was _definitely_ good, then?_

"Good evening, Miss. May I enquire as to the reason for the intrusion in my chambers?" A voice that she had not heard in a long while spoke.

Whipping around, Hermione gasped as she saw Dumbledore, "I'm sorry, it's just..."

Dumbledore frowned as the girl's eyes water. He was never good at comforting people, contrary to what people may think; he wasn't perfect. The girl walked slowly forward, sinking into one of the comfortable squishy chair on the other side of his desk.

Watching her ex-headmaster through wet eyes, Hermione found herself overcome with emotion. He observed her through those twinkling blue eyes, slightly covered by half-moon spectacles. His gaze searched hers, then nodded, as if he were happy at what he saw in the hazel depths.

"Well, Miss Granger, it appears that you believe you have a dilemma."

"I do have a dilemma; we're stuck here!" Hermione replied, scared at how bleak her words sounded, "and we can't change anything."

Once again, the headmaster surveyed her. She had a slight feeling that he was using legilimency on her, so she shut her eyes, afraid at what she could change just by appearing in the past.

"Do you recall what you read in that book about Time-Travel, Miss Granger? If not, I can happily-" Dumbledore stopped as Hermione nodded eagerly.

"Of course!"

"Would you care to repeat the words you remember?"

Hermione frowned, but did as told:

"_Time is a very complex piece of science. One cannot, in fact, change time. When one travels in time over a long period (more than 8,766 hours) they, in a sense, travel to a different dimension. Everything is the exact same as it would be at that particular time in one's current dimension. When one travels in time, they do not come from the future, as there is no future and, therefore, incidents and such can be changed to ensure a diverse outcome..._" Hermione trailed off as realisation hit her, "We can change time?"

"Indeed. Would you like me to ask Mr Potter and Mr Weasley to come up here so you may share your revelation?"

Hermione nodded dumbly, staring off into space as she realised the changes she could make.

Harry and Ron stared, shocked, at where Hermione disappeared. Snape, thinking that they were staring at him, let out a few choice words before striding past them.

Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the un-named child slowly walked towards the two boys. "Who're you?" The boy asked, tugging on Sirius' hand.

"No-one," Ron muttered darkly, "No-one at all."

"Well _I'm_ James Potter!" The boy announced proudly. Harry's gaped, astonished that this little child would be his future father.

"Potions accident," Sirius explained, "He's refused to see the headmaster until dinner time."

"Well, as the two idiots by my side forgot to mention it, that's Sirius Black and I'm-"

"Yes, yes, yes. We know, Remus Lupin, full-time werewolf, we know," Ron spoke as Harry shot him a dark look. Three wands were suddenly drawn, aimed directly at the duo.

Harry stuck his hands in the air, "We don't want a fight, we just need to get to his office."

"How do you know?" Sirius asked, stepping forward and pushing his wand into Harry's neck.

Ron rolled his eyes at the exchange. It seemed that, for some reason, he was very depressed, even though none of the war had actually happened yet.

"_How do you know?_" Sirius growled again, an evil glint appearing in his eyes.

Harry looked up into his eyes, "The same way I know that you are all animagus; you told us."

"I did not do such a-" Sirius was cut off as Dumbledore stepped from his office.

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger would like a word with you upstairs."

Ron and Harry exchanged worried looks, before hurrying up the stairs towards Dumbledore's office. They burst through the door, only to see Hermione beaming up from a chair with tear tracks across her face.

"What's wrong?" Ron demanded, sitting in one of the two chairs across from her.

Her eyes slid between the boys, "We can change it, we can change everything!"

**So, some things explained this chapter... and don't worry, I _will_ make something bad happen so it's not just lovey-dovey stuff.**

**And, I'm not aiming for a Ron/Hermione relationship. The couples I'm thinking of doing are Remus/Hermione, Sirius/Hermione or Severus/Hermione. :)**

**Oh, and if there are any mistakes, even teeny tiny ones, tell me. I hate reading stories where it's mistake after mistake, and I know I'm not perfect!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: So I've decided this will be Severus/Hermione story... Sorry if you don't like that. Oh, and sorry for not updating the story before, I was kind of on holiday... with no internet. :)**

After explaining what had happened to the boys, Hermione sat exhausted in her chair, listening to Harry voice every single thought in his head for the _third_ time.

"So that means, technically, no one has to die?" Ron but in.

Hermione glared at Ron, "People die. Get used to it."

Silence fell upon the room, seemingly extinguishing the few candles alight. "That was a bit harsh," Harry whispered.

"I know. But we need to be realistic. There is a war going on here, well, about to start. We need to find the horcruxes and destroy them! We know were most of them are, we just need to find them and get rid of them! And yes, people will die. It's the fact of life. Everybody knows that!"

Harry and Ron just looked at her. "Maybe we should get some rest, and talk about it tomorrow?" Hermione suggested, "I'll be in the Room of Requirement. Don't disturb me."

Walking away from the two boys, she suddenly felt very alone. It wasn't that they were annoying, it was more like... she just needed a break.

Hermione stopped upon seeing the four figures at the bottom of the staircase. Professor Dumbledore waved his hand lightly towards the small boy at Sirius' side, restoring him to the age he was meant to be, before turning to the girl. "Have the three of you decided what will happen?"

Hermione nodded her head, curls bouncing everywhere. "We were wondering, if it's alright with you, if we could stay and finish our education in Hogwarts while trying to stop Voldemort?"

Dumbledore nodded his assent, "What houses were you in?"

"Gryffindor, and we dropped out in our sixth year. I have, obviously, been keeping up with my education, but Harry and Ron have not."

"Well, I will go and have a talk with Harry and Ron. I assume you have left them in my office?" He walked up the stairs with Hermione's confirmation, "And I expect you three boys to show Hermione to the common room, and introduce her to Lilly Evans."

Sirius, Remus, and James studied Hermione. She looked nervously around her.

"Who're you?" Sirius finally asked.

"Hermione Granger. Why?" She replied, her eyes narrowing.

"We've never seen you around," Sirius answered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and took a step forward, "Are you going to tell me the password? I know the way there. And you still need to get Professor Lupin to the..."

"I'm a student." Remus said.

"Not from where I come from," Hermione shot back, "Actually, what year is it?"

"1976"

Hermione thought for a moment, "Well I'm going up to the common room now. If you three would care to join me..."

"Hang on a minute," James stood his ground as his friends moved forward, "We still don't know who the hell you are!"

"Well I know exactly who you three are. You, James Potter, I have never personally met. You were in the Order, and apparently one of the best people around, even if you were a bit arrogant. You died protecting your wife and son from Voldemort. You look exactly like him, and the only thing your son wanted in the world was the chance to meet you. You were the best Seeker in Gryffindor, until your son. His patronus is a stag, your animagus form.

"Sirius Black. You were James' best friend. Everyone thought you betrayed him, and you spent 13 years in Azkaban, known as one of the world's worst murderers. While in Azkaban, you found out that the person that actually murdered James was still alive and, using your animagus form, you escaped. The first person to ever do so. As a dog, you roamed the streets looking for this man. You visited Harry often, and he thought you were the Grim. In fact, there were many near-death experiences while you were around. Unfortunately you were never cleared of the crime, and spent your last couple of years living in Grimmauld Place – most of your family had died – with Harry, Ron, and myself. You gave Grimmauld Place to Dumbledore so it could act as a base for the Order. You died in our fifth year, thrown into the veil with a spell cast by Bellatrix Lestrange. You were the closest thing to a father that Harry ever had, and he almost went in there after you.

"Professor Lupin. Yes, you were our professor. In our third year, when Sirius came back and that _rat_ escaped to do Voldemort's bidding. You were the best professor we ever had, but that was the one time that I didn't pass a test with full marks. You are a werewolf, I recognised the signs when Professor Snape took the class while you, coincidentally, were sitting in your office as a wolf. Harry and Ron figured it out when you transformed in front of them. Then Professor Snape told the whole school and you quit.

"Anyway, you three, plus Peter, are the Marauders. Names Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs in association with your animagus, or werewolf, forms. You have a map that shows where everyone is in Hogwarts. Now, can we please go to the common room."

The trio stared at her, gobsmacked. "So, I'm not dead?" Remus ventured.

"No, you were quite alive." Hermione smiled.

James walked forward to join his two comrades, "What about Peter? How much do you know about him? He has gotten out of his shell, hasn't he?"

Hermione's eyes were suddenly flat and dangerous, "If I _ever_ see that rat again I will kill him, and painfully too."

James looked at Sirius, "What happened? Why do you hate him so much?"

"There is too much blood on his hand."

"Do you mind getting away from this... dismal subject? I wouldn't mind the common room at the moment..." Remus suggested.

Late that night, Hermione sat alone in the common room, watching the fire. It crackled and popped, sending spirals of smoke into the enchanted chimney. Earlier, Hermione had been introduced to Lilly. She was really nice, offering to give up her bed for the new girl. Hermione had declined, however, and was set on staying awake until she heard the two boys in the tower.

"Ahh, stuff it," she groaned, standing up and walking towards the portrait. Opening it, she gripped her wand and slipped into the corridor. It was dark. Really dark. Silently, she walked in the shadows, dodging ghosts and even the occasional teacher. Eventually, she found herself in front of the Room of Requirement. Someone was already in there – she could hear... sobbing? Walking three times past the wall, a small door opened in front of her. It was black, with dark golden hinges and bolts, like the vintage colours Hermione had seen on necklaces in the muggle world. The doorknob was a serpent. _I bet it's a slytherin._ Hermione thought, before grasping the serpent and pulling. Nothing happened. Then the door opened. Inwards. It's push, not pull.

"Sorry," Hermione almost whispered, "I was just looking for a place to stay that no-one would bother me. I never thought that this room would be..." She trailed off, having just caught sight of who was standing in the doorway.

Professor Severus Snape. The half-blood prince. He towered over her with the exact same expression he held in her potions class for her; disdain.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean t-to interrupt y-you. I-It won't happen again." Hermione managed to stutter out.

Instead of snapping at her like she expected, Snape stood aside, granting her entrance into the huge room. Hesitantly, Hermione walked in, throwing confused glances to her ex-potions professor. He sat in one of two chairs situated in front of a fireplace.

"Were you... crying before I came in?" Hermione asked.

He raised an eyebrow, "If I was, would I tell you, someone who I do not know the name of?"

"Hermione Granger."

Snape didn't reply, choosing instead to stare at the flames, much like Hermione did in the Gryffindor common room.

"Why are you here?" she asked, tired with the silence.

Snape looked at her again, and she took this time to examine his features. He still looked like Snape, but younger. Hell, even his nose was crooked! "Why are _you_ here?" he countered.

"Because... I needed to get away." his raised eyebrows prompting Hermione to continue. "I'm not going to say any more."

Snape regarded her for a moment, "Where are you from?"

"Here. This is my home." she answered.

Snape frowned. He had never seen her before, and she was someone that couldn't be missed. Just _look_ at her hair! It gave her her height. Without it she would barely reach four foot. Well, maybe it wasn't _that_ bad, but she should do something about it. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. She couldn't come from here, unless she used polyjuice potion or some such thing. But he really doubted that. Why would someone hide their appearance, although he probably would if he had that hair. She wasn't a transfer, Dumbledore should announce those the night before (at least) they get here (_Hogwarts: A History_, page 169). So where did she come from?

Hermione shifted under his scrutiny, becoming too aware of how thin her robes were. In fact, they were tattered and torn from the battle. There was a huge whole in her left sleeve, where she'd just missed a curse someone sent at her. The front of her robes was stained with tears, blood, and what looked like a tooth (how the hell did that get there?).

"What happened to you?" Snape asked, tact leaving his mind as he was filled with concern for her.

"Nothing, I'm... Are you _concerned _for me? Who would've thought..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered the Snape she knew.

"Yes. Is a Slytherin not allowed to have compassion? Or pity? Or any god-damned feelings?" he replied, his voice steadily rising, "Is that all we are to Gryffindors? Stereotypes for something evil?" he was now shouting, making Hermione curl up on her chair in fright. Noticing that, he stopped and whispered "I'm sorry. The girl I'm in love with told me that she never wants to see me again."

"Maybe it's for the best?" Hermione said softly, "Just... don't do anything stupid, you've already suffered through too much."

"Do _what_? Go and join Voldemort and his friends? That actually doesn't seem like a bad idea..." Snape's voice trailed off as he seriously considered the notion.

"No, no, no! That's what you're not supposed to do!" Hermione yelled.

"Why? What does it matter to you?" Snape snarled, looking Hermione in the eye.

"Everyone hates you." She said, ignoring Snape's obvious hurt, "But you don't care. Or you never act like it. The only thing that ever made you care is Lilly, and she rejected you for James. Then you go and join Voldemort. It's not what you think it is. You will get tortured, you will have to rape women, and you have to pretend that you enjoy it. Do you _really_ want that. It would be fun... for the slightly crazy people. Trust me, I know."

"_Who are you_?" Snape asked again, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I... I don't know. I don't exist anymore. But please tell me, no, promise me that that you will _not_ go to Voldemort." Hermione replied, her eyes downcast.

"I don't trust you." Snape stated, "Why should I stay with you and not go to Voldemort?"

"What can I do to make you trust me?"

Snape was silent for a moment, "Meet me here once a week, at midnight. I'll tell you when."

Hermione nodded before asking, "What time is it now?"

"It was three in the morning just before you came here. It will be around half past now. Maybe you should get some sleep?"

"As should you," Hermione replied before turning to face the door. Another two had appeared beside it, with slight differences. "Well, I found where I'm staying," She called out before heading towards the door on the left.

Finally alone, Hermione found time to reflect on the long and hard day she had had. Firstly, they were destroying horcruxes in the worst place she could possible think of (a battle at Hogwarts). Secondly, she had met her best friend's parents. Thirdly, she had kind of spilt the beans on the fact that they were time travellers. Fourthly, she has to have meeting with Snape, her horrible potions professor, once a week. And fifthly, she travelled back in time 20 or so years. Everyone she knew would have no recollection of herself. Even her parents!

Lying down on a surprisingly comfortable bed, Hermione tried to gather her thoughts, but it was useless; her body needed sleep.

**Longest chapter I have EVER written (Over 2000 words... doesn't seem like much, but this took me agess!) Just thought you guys should know haha. And yes, the next chapter is already written.**

**If there are any mistakes, please tell me. :)**

**Thank you for reading!**

**xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx**

**PS. Oh, and the animagus thing. It will come up later, I just hate surprises in stories, like Hermione's randomly an animagus although it said nothing about it in the first million chapters...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: So I've noticed that not many people seem to read this part of the page because half of it is cut off (I don't). So I'm just writing this here, I'm pretty sure no one will read it, and hopefully you'll read the first sentence of the story this way :)**

**Chapter 4**

Morning awoke the grounds of Hogwarts, from the groundkeeper, who was trying to subdue a fire one of the Lucefuocos made, to the water nymphs, who ran circles around the fire, chanting. Even the students were disturbed from their sleep by this loud noise.

Harry and Ron, sleeping in a make-shift room in Ravenclaw, awoke with groans. They, like so many others, were unused to waking this early.

"What the _bloody hell_ is that awful noise?" Ron shouted, causing another groan from Harry.

"I dunno, mate, but make it SHUT UP!" Harry yelled back at him, pulling a pillow over his head.

While these two boys continued shouting at one another, Hermione stood at the end of her bed, trying to find _something_ to wear among the highly inappropriate clothing the room suggested. In the end, she decided on a flowing blue tie-dyed dress, which didn't look as awful as it sounded. Although extremely difficult to breathe in, it followed her curves (she did actually have curves, just liked to hide them) down to her knees.

As it was Sunday (she had checked the days with Dumbledore the night before), Hermione was free to roam the grounds as she pleased. However she really should go to the library to look up time travelling, and if there were any defects of travelling twenty years. First stop, though, was Hagrid's cabin to shut those stupid nymphs up!

As Hermione neared the smoke, she wondered at the reception she would receive. Hagrid was only initially friendly towards her because she was friends with Harry. He was nice to everyone, but there is a difference between nice and friendly. They had bonded in Hermione's third year, when she kept finding the information for Buckbeak. He had told Hermione almost everything, and she in turn, had told him a few guarded secrets of her own, like how she was in love with Ron, and how she wished she had girl friends to talk to, instead of two idiotic friends. And, that one time, how her parents had died, not gone off to Australia like she'd told everyone. She had never been entirely sure why she didn't want everyone to know, probably because she didn't want a people feeling sorry for her.

Finally reaching the fire, Hermione took out her wand, waving it in twisted, complicated patterns. The water nymphs suddenly found that their voices would not work. She then doused the fire with another spell, spouting water out the tip of her wand. Pleased with her work, Hermione turned and started to walk away.

Time for breakfast.

Hermione entered the Great Hall nervously. She still hadn't seen the boys since last night, in Dumbledore's office. She looked over the Gryffindor table, which was packed with people talking about clothes, shoes, make-up and, of course, quidditch. Apparently a new broom had come out, faster than ever before, Hermione deducted from a nearby conversation. Quickly looking over Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, Hermione concluded that they were not in the hall.

"Psst! Hermione!" A voice called from further down the table.

Looking over, she saw Remus, Sirius, James, and Lilly sitting halfway down the Gryffindor table. James was the one who had whispered, and Lilly seemed to be a tad pissed off about that. Walking over, she slid into a spare seat between Remus and Sirius.

"Have you seen my friends?" she asked as soon as she touched the seat.

"The red-head and James' look-alike? No, not at all." Sirius replied.

She gave the boys a look, "Haven't you figured it out yet? We come from around twenty years in the future, more than enough time for James to get married and have a kid. And you know what? Here is a kid, old enough to be his son, and looks exactly like his father."

"Holy shit! I have a son!" James exclaimed, food falling out of his mouth. Both Hermione and Lilly looked at the dropped bacon with distaste.

"Who's the mother?" Remus asked, "I noticed you've said James had a wife, and he probably married her because he knocked her up or some crap like that."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure Harry was conceived _after_ they had gotten married." Hermione replied coolly, "Harry's mother wasn't someone who would sleep around."

"What about my mother?" Harry asked, sitting down the opposite side of Hermione, next to Lilly.

"Well, it's kind of obvious who your father is, but I didn't want to tell them who your mother is, I'm not even sure if she likes him yet."

"What about Lilly?" Ron said, sitting down the opposite side of the girl he just mentioned.

"Lilly and JAMES!" half the table exploded.

"Well that was a well kept secret." Hermione muttered, before speaking louder, "That doesn't mean they have to get together."

"What?" Lilly asked, suddenly looking crushed.

"If you time travel for one year, it is like your time never existed. No paradoxes, or anything like that." Hermione gently explained.

"Oh." Lilly replied, with that same expression still on her face.

"Where's Peter?" Harry suddenly asked.

"He said he was sick this morning. Never mind that though, where's half of Slytherin? They're not going to join that arsehole power-hungry what's-his-name, are they?" James replied.

"I would keep an eye on Peter, if I were you," Ron slowly said, "I wouldn't trust him."

"And why not?" demanded Sirius, "We know he doesn't look that great, but he really is a nice guy."

Hermione started giggling, "You had changed your tune in the future. Peter was-"

"Stop."

"What?" Hermione glared at Harry, "They deserve to know!"

"Not of their future. What would you do if someone came here now and said that Ron was do to us what Peter did? You wouldn't believe them, would you? We need to stop telling them of their future." Harry said.

"I suppose you're right. No more words from me." She sighed.

"Oi!" Harry and Hermione both turned to look at Ron, "I heard my name?"

Laughing, both Harry and Hermione dismissed the conversation. Sirius, Remus, James and Lilly were trying to figure what the hell just happened.

"You three. Yes, you! No, not you, Mr. Black. Yes, you three. Come with me too my office immediately." it seemed Professor Mcgonagall hadn't changed much in twenty years.

As soon as the trio sat down in McGonagall's office, she started talking. "Professor Dumbledore explained everything to me, how you three are from the future. I would like to know the subjects you were taking so I can enrol you into Hogwarts. I would also like to know the names of your parents so I can inform them that you three are here."

Hermione started, as per usual, "I was taking all subjects, except Divination and Muggle Studies. My parents are muggles, and I would like it if they were uninformed about this whole situation, at least until I have left for Hogwarts."

Harry and Ron told McGonagall their subjects, and she promised Ron that she would owl his parents. Then she placed a rather old and tattered hat on her desk. The Sorting Hat.

"We've already done this, Professor," Harry objected upon seeing it. Ron and Hermione nodded.

"We would like you three to be resorted, as is customary for any student wishing to attend Hogwarts again."

Hermione shrugged. It didn't make sense, but it was just a hat. It would be put on her head, and she would be sorted – again – into Gryffindor. No big fuss, really.

Seeing Hermione's shrug, Harry lifted the Sorting Hat onto his head. Silence fell around the room until the hat spoke (not shouted – Hermione knew that the hat was extremely loud, and was prepared to block her ears) "Gryffindor." Harry passed the hat to Ron. It lay on his head mobile for two seconds. Exactly two seconds. "Gryffindor." Ron smiled and handed it over.

Smiling at the other two, Hermione shoved the Sorting Hat upon her head.

_Hermione Granger. Such a pleasure to meet you again._

"Again?" She asked, a frown marring her face.

_Yes, again. Do you not remember the time, in your first year, that I sorted you into Gryffindor?_

"I thought that hadn't happened yet."

_It hasn't. I saw your mind. Amazing. Your mind is one of the most wonderful I have ever encountered. Why did I not place you in Ravenclaw?_

"I didn't want to be there. It wasn't exciting enough."

_Ahh, yes. Well, you do not fit into the categories of Ravenclaw at the moment-_

"Are you calling me _dumb_!" Hermione exclaimed.

_Not at all. You just don't fit. And Gryffindor would not suit you either. _

Hermione's eyebrows raised in surprise.

_Hufflepuff won't work, you have too much courage. Not enough, though for Gryffindor._

"How the hell was I sorted into it last time, then?"

_Does anyone know you are a muggle born?_

"Only Professor McGonagall, Harry, and Ron. Oh, and Dumbledore seems to know everything."

_Good, good. Keep that secret safe. You are now in_ "Slytherin." the hat spoke.

Hermione immediately ripped the hat off, throwing it to the far corners of McGonagall's office. "Slytherin!" She spoke in disgust.

Ron and Harry stared at her in confusion, "How can you be in Slytherin? I would've thought Ravenclaw, if not Gryffindor." Harry started.

Hermione sunk into her chair, "But I'm not pure-blood! I'm muggle-born! How will I fit in? I don't know anyone there!"

"There must be _some _mistake. Hermione's not Slytherin material!" Ron almost shouted at McGonagall.

"What the Sorting Hat says, goes. I suggest you two go back to where ever you slept last night, grab your things, and head over to Gryffindor Tower. The password is _Snivellus_. Mr. Potter is in charge of the passwords this month." She added to the raised eyebrows from all three students.

Harry and Ron left the office. Hermione waited for her instructions.

"I need you to go and see Professor Slughorn. He is the Head of Slytherin, and will assist you in finding your way to the dormitories, and with passwords. Do you know where his office is?"

Assuring McGonagall that she did, indeed, know her way around the school, Hermione left to find Professor Slughorn. When she reached the door to his office, Hermione strode in confidently, after knocking thrice. As was per usual of Slughorn, it took him eleven minutes to figure out what Hermione was there for, eighteen to tell her a story of a past student, five and a half minutes to walk to the entrance of Slytherin, thirty-seven to introduce her to the whole of Slytherin (including little stories about most of the students – _John Smith here blew up his first cauldron when he was six. I know because I was around his house because his mother is the best friend of the assistant to the Minister of Magic_), and fourteen minutes and forty seconds to find her a dorm.

Luckily there were only two beds. That meant that there was only one other girl in here. Maybe it was Narcissa Mal- Black. Or Nymphadora Tonks. No, Tonks was younger than Remus, and Narcissa Black would have been older than 20 when she gave birth to Draco Malfoy. So who was her room mate? Walking between the two beds, Hermione figured that the person held title to the bed on the right. Although both beds were immaculate and there was nothing on either night stand, more than likely due to the work of the house elves, there were a few small pointers that this one was occupied. The top draw wasn't pushed quite closed, showing dark green clothes, and there was also a pair of fluffy blue slippers hidden beneath the bed (at the very back, Hermione had to bend over to see them properly).

Hermione walked to her bed, sitting down on the very edge. It didn't feel right. This whole place didn't feel right. The décor was horrible, and the beds weren't maroon. Yes, she did know that she wasn't in Gryffindor anymore, but it still felt wrong. Drawing her legs up to her face, her chin wobbled, and one lone tear travelled down her cheek. Ron and Harry, she bet, would be having the time of their lives right now, while Hermione would be sitting in this small (it wasn't that small actually – bigger than the one she had in Gryffindor) room. Even the beds were bigger! What was this? Discrimination?

Hermione stood up. What was she thinking? Why was she sitting here, on her new bed in Slytherin when she could be in the library, looking up horcruxes? Ugh! Basically sprinting out the entrance to Slytherin, Hermione failed to see dark eyes watching her.

**Slytherin! Yay! :D (Sorry I've always loved Slytherin) And you get to see her new room-mate next chapter! I need a name for her, so any suggestions people? :D**

**If there are any mistakes, please tell me!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Because I forgot one last time, I don't own anything, except for the Lucefuocos. They're mine. Gorgeous things, too. (Well, at least I think they are. And I haven't given you a description of what they look like yet.) And did you know their name means light fire? Well, you do now. Luce = Light. Fuoco = Fire. And if you're reading this, you're probably quite bored now, so here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

"That's an... interesting book." A feminine voice interrupted Hermione's studying.

Hermione started. She had only just started reading the enormous volume, which wasn't very helpful to be honest. So far, it had only covered how to make one. She wasn't interested in that. She wanted to know how to destroy one.

"Yes. I wanted some background research into my assignment. The Professor didn't seem very knowledgeable in this subject, so I looked it up." She replied without looking up.

"Ah. And the assignment is on making Horcruxes?"

Hermione paused. Slowly lowering her book, she took a peek at the person. A tall dark-haired girl stood, swaying lightly on her toes. Her light grey eyes dipped to the cover of Hermione's book, the back to her brown ones. Smiling shyly, she fell into the chair opposite.

"Hi. I'm Seraphina Jackson. Sorry, but my parents collect old artefacts. That book was one of them. Well, not _that_ book exactly, but one like that. Not a bright subject, is it? Horcruxes. Are you aiming to make one?"

Hermione blinked, her brain struggling to absorb this information. "Actually I'm looking to destroy them, do you know any simple ways? As in any curses?"

Seraphina brightened up, "Only the fire one, but that's pretty hard to control. I have a book back at home that could help you. Would you like to borrow it sometime?"

Hermione nodded eagerly. She had 'borrowed' the current book from Dumbledore's private collection which was, incidentally, in a hidden corner of the Restricted section. That was the only book on horcruxes she could find. Closing it, she used a spell to send it back.

"So what subject are you researching horcruxes on? It seems pretty morbid, honestly. I didn't even think that it was part of the curriculum. Professor Dumbledore gave me the most evil death stare when I asked about them once. And it was only to find out how to kill it!"

"I'm... It's... Can we not talk about this?"

"Of course! As I said before, it's not a happy subject. Well let's talk about ourselves then! I'm in seventh year, a Slytherin. The only one, actually. The other three dropped out last year to go and join You-Know-Who. And so did most of the guys. Now there's only Severus, Cam, Delfina, and me! Delfina is actually in the sixth year, but she is put up a year because her parents paid for it. She's meant to be really smart and everything, but she's not. And you _have_ to let her answer in class. Talking about class, why haven't I ever seen you before?"

Hermione thought, should she tell her that she was a transfer student, or that... She didn't really have any other excuse. "I'm a... transfer student."

"Really!" Seraphina almost shouted, gaining a 'shush' from Madam Prince, "Where are you from? I've heard of other schools, but not much about them. None of them are particularly open. Was yours in England? Or the States? You only have an English accent, so there must be another one in England."

How the hell was this girl still talking? Hermione swore that she hadn't taken one breath throughout the whole conversation.

"There aren't any others in England."

"Oh. Well then you must go to one in another country, and come back here for the holidays! That's _got to_ be it!"

"Wait, you said you were Slytherin? Then I must be your new room-mate."

"Of course! Transfer student! New bed! _Now_ it makes sense! Although I must tell you that the boys in Slytherin are quite... different, to say the least. Severus can be nice, but usually he's just plain rude. He's one of those 'dark' people, y'know? He dresses in black ALL the time, and _never_ smiles. He's also a gentleman, kinda. As in, he would hold the door open for you type thing, and he would offer you half of whatever he's eating, but he's not the traditional gentleman. And he's crazy about potions. Thinks they're amazing. Honestly, how amazing can the bowel of a cat and the spleen of a unicorn be? All it makes is-"

"A lot. They're used in many healing potions together. Somehow, the cat's bowel, with the unicorn's spleen, purifies the other ingredients, which insures that they work together." Hermione interrupted. Merlin, this girl was giving her a headache!

Seraphina stared at the bushy haired transfer student, "You like potions, too! You and him would probably get along quite well, then! Well, maybe. You never can tell with Severus. He seems to be nice to you, but you mention a certain word, and he just freaks out! Totally clams up! And if you just meet him and say one of those words, then he'll hate you forever! Which would be no good, 'coz he can be kinda fun to hang around, if you're with him _and_ Lilly, of course. I think he may have a teeny tiny crush on her, but she is so obviously in love with Black. Not the one in Gryffindor, the one in Slytherin. I mean, she stares at him all the time! It's quite annoying if you have a crush on him too – not that I do! I haven't liked anyone in _ages_! The last one was that guy in Ravenclaw. Peterson. Have you heard of him? He's really nice. We actually dated for a while, but he cheated on me and I got slightly suspended for what I did to him. I won't tell you what I did, though. It was very messy."

Hermione stood from the table, "Sorry, but I suddenly have the biggest headache in the world. I'm going to go and get a potion from Madame Pomfrey." She left before the girl could get another word in edgeways.

All she wanted was a break! Sera... _something_ wouldn't give her one, that was for sure! She would continue talking about whatever came to her mind! And in that voice she had, too! It was actually a nice voice, if Hermione admitted it to herself. Low and slightly husky. Not in the bad way, though. It suited her. Kind of like how Snape's voice suited him. Oh, she was even thinking like Sera-something now! Ugh!

Walking faster than normal, Hermione left the library with the thought of a place to rest. No, she did not go to the Room of Requirement, although that _should have_ been the first thought to cross her mind. Instead, she managed to find herself at the edge of the forbidden forest, where she had started her day. Yes, it was _still_ the same day. It felt like years ago, now, when she woke up to git rid of that fire the Lucefuocos made. They were annoying, too.

_Everything_ was annoying, now Hermione thought about it. Even Harry, with his tendency to go and kill himself. That was also quite inconvenient. And Ron, just being an idiot and _eating with his mouth open_. Unconsciously, Hermione dug her fingernails into her palm. It wasn't actually the eating part that annoyed her, it was his teeth. They were orange, and decaying too. Sadly, her parents had taught her _a lot_ about dental hygiene. She was always noticing the state of peoples' teeth. Like Malfoy, for instance. Even though he was not here, or even alive, she knew that he had three cavities, one in both first premolars on his upper jaw, and another on the lateral incisor on the right side of his lower jaw. His teeth were also slightly yellow, too. She would've thought that this was unusual for a Malfoy, someone who prized himself above others, but it seemed that, in the wizarding world, nobody cared about their teeth. Even Dumbledore's teeth were rotten.

Hermione shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts from her mind. If she wasn't careful, she would be counting the teeth and cavities of every single person she met. Hell, if she saw an animal right now she would count its' teeth too!

A twig snapped to her left. Hermione whipped around and drew her wand. Pointing it at the direction the sound came from, Hermione muttered a spell. It was deflected. Shit. She slowly backed away, narrowing her eyes into the forest, daring something to show.

"That doesn't seem very friendly."

She knew that voice. It was low, and husky. Crap. It wasn't S... (Whoops, she forgot the girl's name) something, was it? Crap, crap, crap. She could not take any more of her talking! Although if it was her, she probably would have said more than five words in the same amount of time that person took to say them.

Snape walked out. Hermione lowered her wand. He raised his.

"You should not stop defending yourself if you see a person." He stated.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "I know. But you won't hurt me."

Snape inclined his head, "That is true, however you don't know this. Or if it is, in fact, myself. I may be someone disguised as me. Have you ever heard of polyjuice potion?"

Hermione laughed, noticing a flash of _something_ go over his face, "Have I heard of it? I made it. In my third year. Harry and Ron disguised themselves as two others from our year, to find out if this person was doing certain things. He wasn't, but I still made it. And you won't hurt me."

Snape raised an eyebrow, copying her previous expression. A rustling in the bushes next to him forced them to focus on whatever the hell was there, instead of the conversation (which Hermione was actually starting to enjoy, not that she'd tell anyone).

Slowly walking over to the bushes, Hermione parted it with her wand. She turned and immediately dry-heaved. Now that was _not_ anything she would ever want to see!

**Hi! So here's the next chapter. Obviously the girl's name is Seraphina. I don't like her. (And that's got _nothing_ to do with the storyline!) Just saying. She talks _way_ too much! And I also noticed that there were way too many long paragraphs in here! The longest is about 9 lines, and I'm using size 9 font! Well, anyways, how did it go? Did I make any mistakes? If I did, please tell me! (Which reminds me, I have gotten a total of four reviews... :( Thank you to the people that have reviewed! But I feel like no one's actually reading this. So, if it's not too much trouble, could you please leave a review? And I don't care whatever the hell you tell me! Tell me about your favourite colour if you want!)**

**Also, I am still looking for a Beta. So, if any of you lovely people happen to be one, and want to get chapters early and tell me that what I was going to write is a terrible idea, PM me!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**xxLittleMidgetLeprechaunxx**

**Oh! and before I forget, here's the link to what I believe Seraphina looks like. (I just googled and was like 'holy crap! This girl looks awesome! She is Seraphina!'**

**http:/ a2 [dot] l3-images [dot] myspacecdn [dot] ****com **

**(Remove the [dot]'s and replace them with actual dots/full stops/periods.**


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